Boot-tree



( 0 Mod A. D. Jr.

BOOT TREE. No. 317,476. Patented May 5, 1885.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABEL D. TYLER, JR, OF BROOK-TON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT-TREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 317,476, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed March 24, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABEL D. TYLER, J12, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot-Trees, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates particularly to the foot-pieces of boot or shoe trees, and its object is to construct a foot-piece that can easily be inserted in a boot or shoe, and when therein properly fit the same for the purpose of treeing it, and can then as easily be removed from the boot or shoe; and it consists in constructing and arranging the body or ball and toe portion of the foot-piece for it to be contracted and expanded laterally, or in a line at right angles to its length, so that contracted it can easily be inserted in the boot or shoe, and when therein expanded to properly fill the same, and to be as easily removed from the boot or shoe by again contracting it, all substantially as hereinafter fully described and shown.

In the accompanying plate of drawings is illustrated a foot-piece to a boot or shoe tree constructed according to this invention.

Figures 1 and 3 represent plan views of the under side or bottom of a foot-piece constructed according to this invention, attached to the body portion of the boot or shoe tree, Fig. 1 showing it as contracted laterally or across its width, and Fig. 3 as in its expanded condition. Figs. 2 and 4 are cross-sections on lines 2-2 and 4-4, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 5 shows a detail vertical section of the lower part or body portion of a boot or shoe tree having the foot-piece attached thereto, which is in central longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 6, a back view in detail of the body portion of the lower end of the boot-tree where the foot-piece is attached to it Fig. 7 a view of the back of the foot'piece; and Fig. 8, a back view of the foot-piece contracted, and showing in dotted lines the lower end of the body portion shown in Fig 6..

In the drawings A represents a foot-piece, and B the lower end of the body portion of the boot-tree to which it is to be attached. The foot-piece A consists of three parts, 0 the instep or upper portion, and I) and E the body and toe portions, secured together by hinges F and Gr, their outer surfaces, a, being of the shape and outline desired for the foot-piece as (No model.)

desired. The part D is on one side and the part E on the other side of a central vertical longitudinal line of the foot-piece, their rear portions extending under the part 0, and having their upper surfaces, H, fiat to fit closely the under flat surface, J, of the part 0. The contiguous sides d of the parts D and E are cut-under or angularly in cross-section in relation to their flat surfaces H, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 more particularly, and at the. edges f of such sides 61 are connected each one to a separate leaf, 9, of the hinges F G, respectively, the pivots h of which hinges are in the same horizontal axial line. The pivot h of the hinge F is secured to ear-pieces l of a plate, K, attached in any suitable manner to the under surface, J, of the part 0.

Swinging the two parts D and E in one directionthat is, to bring their sides d together, as shown in Fig, 2, in cross-section-places the foot-piece in its contracted position, and swinging them in the opposite direction or from each other brings their surfaces H in contact with the under surface, J, of the part 0, as shown in Fig. 4 in cross-section, the footpiece then being expanded.

\Vith the foot-piece in its contracted position, as shown in Fig. 2, it can easily be inserted in a boot or shoe, and when therein expanded to properly fit the same, when treeing the boot or shoe, and it can be as easily removed from the boot or shoe by again contractin g it, as is obvious.

In practice this contraction and expansion of the foot-piece is to be accomplished by the body portion of the boot-tree when attaching the'parts together, as will now be described.

at and n are two pins, one in each part D and E, respectively, and projecting longitudinally from their rear ends, I).

In the lower end, q, of the body portion of the boot or shoe tree, and in that portion of it against which the rear end, b, of the foot-piece abuts when attached to it, are two slots L, and M, opening at r to thelower outside end, q, of the body portion B, and from thence extending upwardly and diverging from each other, as at s, and ending in vertical parallel portions, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6.

The open ends 1' of the slots L M are of a v distance apart corresponding to the distance the two pins m n are from each other when the foot-piece is inits contracted position, and

the distance the vertical portions t of said slots are apart corresponds to the distance the pins m n are from each other when the footpiece is expanded to the Width desired.

Insert the foot-piece Ain its eontractedpositionin the boot or shoe to be treed. Then place the boot or shoe over the end of the body and back portion of the boot-tree, and press it thereon to its seat in the usual manner. In such movement the pins m a enter the open ends 7 of the slots L M, as shown in Fig. 8, and in the continued movement of the footpiece to its seat on the boot-tree the said pins m n will each travel up their respective slots 7', and in such travel the foot-piece will be expanded, and Whenthe foot-piece is secured in place in the body portion of the tree the pins m n will have entered the vertical portions t of the slots, the foot-piece will be expanded fully, and thus held so long as it is attached to the body portion.

In removing the foot-piece from the boottree the pins move through their slots L M in a reverse direction and contracting the footpiece laterally so that it can be easily removed from the boot or shoe.

A plate, N, is secured to the rear end, u, of

the part 0 by screws '0, which has the usual bar, 1?, secured to it in any suitable manner for attaching the foot piece to the body portion, and in this plate N are slots 0.", through which the pins in n project, and they are of a size sufficient to allow of the free movement 1' fthe pins m n in the contracting and expanding of the foot-piece.

The vertical portions 25 of the slots L M can be dispensed with and can diverge their Whole length instead, but it is preferable to have the vertical portions as described, as it limits the expansion of the foot-piece, preventing undue strain of the parts.

A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree constructed and arranged for operation as herein described, has many advantages. It enables the foot-piece to be easily and conveniently inserted in the boot or shoe, and as easily removed therefrom, and when therein to be expanded to fit the boot or shoe properly for the purpose of treeing it. The contracting of the foot-piece allows it to be removed from the boot or shoe without straining the upper to injure its shape, as is apt to be the case where the foot-piece is solid and fitting the boot or shoe closely.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A footpiece for a boot or shoe tree, composed of parts 0, D, and E, and hinged together substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, composed of parts 0, D, and E, constructed and arranged in combination with mechanism, substantiallyas described, operated upon by the body portion of the boot or shoe tree to expand and contract laterally, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, composed of parts (J, D, and E, twoD E-ofwhich parts have pins m n, in combination with the body portion A of the boot or shoe tree, provided with slots L M, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, composed of parts (J, D, and E, secured together by hinges, one of which is composed of part K, and leaves 9 9, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. A foot-piece for a boot or shoe, composed of parts 0, D, and E, pivoted together for the parts D and E to move in a downward circular direction for lateral contraction of the foot-piece, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

ABEL D. TYLER, JR.

Witnesses EDWIN W. BROWN, WM. S. BELLows. 

